What to say to you after a week like this. A week where I feel as if my emotions have not even had the chance to take in what I have experienced.
On Monday I preached my first funeral. A 23 year old girl had commited suicide after not having children for 3 years. I preached on Jesus' suffering in the garden and the cross. How, at times in our lives when we can't see God's reasonings, He always has something beautiful planned out of our sufferings if we are faithful to Him. Just as the blood of Christ brought forth redemption, if we put our faith in Him, despite our trials, He has beauty planned for us. Words can not explain how hard it was to preach this as the girls body was still hanging in the tree untouched since her death. Some images are burned in our minds and that will forever be in mine as she hung in the background during the message. I simply do not understand the ways of God always, but i know this. He is God. And we can only place my faith in Him in this life at times of sorrow and dispair. And I pray as easy as it is to say, we will always have this type of faith.
Numerous times this week we came to families who rejected the gospel, because they knew if they did they would have to stop brewing alcohol, which for many provided food for their family. Several people in this situation did put their faith in Jesus this week though and others have before. The faith they display amazes me. What kind of life would we live if we leaned on God like this daily? Like the birds who depend on God daily for their food? The further I go in my relationship with God, I see more of this and what comfort I feel from the Father, but how much further we need to go.
This week we may have seen heartbreaks, but we have seen and heard our share of hallalujahs. Over 15 people confessed Jesus as their Savior for the first time, we discipled twenty church members in evangalism, baptism,and communion, and we had the pleasure of baptizing seventeen people. Ah the muddy water! People singing and dancing in celebration, no narrative could do it justice.
We also discovered many people of peace this week, like Julius. A self proclaimed backslidden drunk who came back to Jesus this week shared with us his experience leading him to us and back to God. He was drunk and lost in the bush and starving. He found a rock and when he stood on top he could see food, but everytime he left the rock he was blinded and couldn't see. He asked God why is this happening? And God said "Fall on your knees and sing praises to me." After doing so his vision was cleared and he found food. Ironic a man who was backslidden could see cleary when he stood on the rock, often a reference to Jesus biblically, but when he went astray he was hopeless. We shared this with him, something he never heard before and he repented and turned to the Lord, showing up for desciplship daily.
The spirit has led us in many unique ways this week. Our last day we hiked almost 5 miles to a hospital which ended up being closed. We decided to share in the market where we met a drunk before who told us he became trashed and was lost in the bush for a few hours. When he arrived home he said he was tired of this and prayed God would send him a man to show him how to reach God. We shared the gospel and he repented immediately. Upon leaving, his wife and older daughter flagged us down saying they wanted to know the gospel as well, and they too repented.
What a journey God is leading us on. Pray for our last weeks of ministry and the people who have came to Jesus for the first time. Though their journeys may at times be filled with heartbreaks, may a hallalujah not be far from their mouths, for God is forever faithful.
"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Matthew 6:33